• Interstate 41 Corridor
Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties
Austin Straubel cargo, passenger traffic up
Business is booming at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport, with passenger traffic up nearly 15% and cargo nearly doubled over 2022 levels.
“Air travel is definitely on the rise — pun intended — and it shows at GRB,” said Airport Director Marty Piette. “Planes are nearly 90% full to all destinations, which shows the airlines that our local travelers will support expanded air service.”
Helping boost those numbers this spring: Sun Country Airlines will resume flights to Orlando International Airport starting in April, and Frontier has resumed nonstop service to Denver International Airport.
With the increase in passengers, airlines are also increasing the size of planes used. Delta Air Lines recently upgraded to a larger aircraft for its Atlanta flights to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, providing passengers more seating options. Delta has also upgraded planes used for the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to CRJ 900s.
The amount of cargo coming into and going out of GRB has almost doubled, officials said. The increase has GRB looking into cargo expansion options, leveraging Brown County’s Foreign Trade Zone, as well as reviewing potential partnerships with additional freight entities.
“The increases we see at GRB in both passenger numbers and freight are great indicators as to how well the overall economy is doing in Brown County,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenback. “The airport is an essential driver of our local economy, so it’s really good to see those numbers rise.”
ThedaCare, Froedtert Health announce intent to merge
Partnerships announced last fall to create medical campuses in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac fostered conversations that led to merger plans announced April 11 by ThedaCare and Froedtert Health.
“We are alike in many ways, and our leaders and our boards have long been asking how we can accelerate our work to make a positive and lasting impact on our state,” said Dr. Imran Andrabi, ThedaCare president and CEO.
The organizations have an existing partnership, which includes the Medical College of Wisconsin, and had announced in October intentions to create two new hospitals, one in Fond du Lac and one in Oshkosh, with a total investment of $110 million.
“Both of our organizations have deep, long-standing ties in the communities we serve,” said Cathy Jacobson, president and CEO of Froedtert Health. “This is a Wisconsin-based, Wisconsin-led organization going forward.”
Combined, Froedtert and ThedaCare operate 18 hospitals with combined revenue of more than $4 billion. ThedaCare has hospitals in Neenah, Appleton, Berlin, New London, Shawano, Waupaca and Wild Rose. Froedtert has a teaching hospital for the Medical College of Wisconsin, a hospital in Wauwatosa and nine other hospitals in the Milwaukee suburbs. The combined organization will have more than 3,100 physicians.
Andrabi said the merger will provide opportunities to educate the next generation of health care providers, and Jacobson added it should help bring more world-class talent to Wisconsin.
“It enables us to attract the best talent and retain the best talent in our communities,” Andrabi said.
The combined organization will be governed by a parent board composed of representatives of both organizations. The initial board will have 18 members, including the president and CEO of Froedtert Health, and the president and CEO of ThedaCare. The initial board chair will be Jud Snyder, Froedtert Health’s current vice chair and chair-elect. The initial vice chair will be Jim Kotek, ThedaCare’s current board chair.
Following the launch of the combined health system, Jacobson will initially assume the role of CEO, and Andrabi will serve as president. After a six-month transition period following the launch of the combined health system, Jacobson will retire from the organization. Andrabi then will assume the role of president and CEO of the combined organization.
• The Lakeshore
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties
New hospital planned in village of Cleveland
ClearSky Health, a rehabilitative health care provider, announced plans to build a new 36-bed medical rehabilitation hospital in the village of Cleveland.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for this summer with the hospital scheduled to open in summer of 2024.
The new hospital will provide specialized rehabilitative care to patients recovering from disabling injuries or illnesses such as strokes, brain injuries, hip fractures, spinal injuries, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or other medically-complex conditions like COVID-19.
Located halfway between the cities of Manitowoc and Sheboygan, the hospital will treat more than 650 patients annually and create about 100 new jobs for the area.
ClearSky Health owns and operates six hospitals in Texas, Louisiana, Kansas and New Mexico, with nine more in planning stages across the nation in Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and additional Wisconsin and Texas locations.
The new, state-of-the-art, 45,000-square-foot building will feature all private rooms, a rehabilitative gym with specialized equipment and one-on-one therapy, a dining room with a dedicated chef and food service staff, and an activity space that allows patients to receive therapy in rooms that emulate home conditions.
Two communities receive funds to reduce traffic congestion
Sheboygan County and the village of Egg Harbor received federal grant funds that target traffic congestion with the goal of improving air quality.
Sheboygan County received $703,184 to complete bicycle lane gaps in the County Highway O Bike Lane Network. Egg Harbor received $1.7 million that will be used for reconstruction of Highway 42 through the village. The $3.5 million project will include a continuous turn lane in the center of the road to reduce congestion.
The remaining $24 million distributed through the grant program went to communities in and around Milwaukee.
• West Central
Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake Counties
Tuscumbia Golf Course sold
The oldest public golf course in Wisconsin was sold to business partners Rusty Grimm and Eric Buchholz. The two purchased Tuscumbia Golf Course in Green Lake from John Geils and the Tuscumbia Land Corp., which owned it for 14 years.
Tuscumbia was established in 1896. Grimm and Buchholz also own Two Oaks North in Wautoma, White Lake Golf Club in Montello and Saddle Ridge Golf Course in Portage.
Opening dates for this year are dependent on how quickly the business partners can build staff and communicate membership plans.
Waupaca plans $6.14 million in capital improvements
The Waupaca Common Council approved $6.14 million in borrowing for capital improvement projects.
The largest project is construction of a new Public Works Department facility that replaces five buildings the city currently uses. The new 40,000-square-foot facility will be located on land purchased from Waupaca School District. It will provide space for parking equipment, storage, fueling for vehicles, a repair garage, truck wash, sign shop, painting shop, map room, lunch room, locker rooms, space for training, and offices for administrative and engineering staff.
Additional projects include a new hangar at Waupaca airport; solar power at city hall; rehabilitation of Fulton, Badger and Elm streets; the Swan Park splash pad and playground; replacement of police squad cars; a public works pickup truck; and IT upgrades.
The city also approved borrowing for wastewater infrastructure improvements.
• The Northwoods
Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties
County Forest Road Aid distributed
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced that more than 900 miles of county forest roads will benefit from $319,000 in state funds.
Marinette County, with more than 234 eligible miles of county forest roads, will receive $82,134. Oconto County, with 36.82 miles, will receive $12,923. Florence County, with 32.97 miles, will receive $11,572. WisDOT administers the state’s County Forest Road Aid program, which was established to help defray county costs for the improvement and maintenance of public roads within county forests.
The 2019-21 biennial budget signed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers increased ongoing funding for this program by $71,800 over the biennium, raising the rate per mile provided to eligible counties from $336 per mile to $351 per mile.
Oconto County to explore carbon offsets for county forest
Monty Brink, administrator for the Oconto County Forest, said the county board has authorized a feasibility study to be conducted by Anew Carbon Development at no cost to the county.
Anew has signed contracts with several Wisconsin counties to create emissions reductions benefits (carbon credits) that can be sold in a carbon credit market. The agreement would set conditions for county forest management to meet the goals needed to create the carbon credits.
The county is not obligated to enter into an agreement with Anew under the terms of the initial study agreement. In other Wisconsin counties, Anew has contracts that allow it to recoup its initial investments while sharing revenue from the carbon credit sales with the counties.
Anew will analyze the county’s 43,766 acres of forest land to determine if entry into the carbon sequestration market is economically viable. That will include computer modeling and onsite visits.
Encompass to open child care center in Oconto Falls
Encompass, a leader in early childhood education, is opening a new child care center in Oconto Falls in 2024 that can accommodate 140 children.
Encompass purchased a building at 650 E. Jackson St. that it will renovate to create the 14,000-square-foot center. The nonprofit organization operates seven child care centers in Green Bay, De Pere and Pulaski.
Encompass received a grant of $250,000 from Oconto County Public Health’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and is working on a grant with the City of Oconto Falls and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The organization has also applied for additional grants and launched a fundraising campaign to complete the funding for the project.
Families have already approached Encompass about getting on a waiting list for the Oconto Falls facility.
“For every one child care slot in Oconto County, there are five children waiting for an opening, causing parents to either seek care from family members, drive long distances or leave the workforce,” said Oconto County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Jayme Sellen. “Encompass coming to Oconto Falls will be a catalyst for generational change for the families, employers and communities in Oconto County.”
